Polish agriculture under pressure from EU potato cuts and Ukrainian grain competition

Across the European Union, potato growers in Belgium, France and Germany are scaling back planted area after a season of oversupply and falling prices. Forecasts show a 7.1% reduction in Germany, 5.2% in France and up to a 14.5% cut in Belgium (19% in Flanders) by 2026, with total EU potato output expected to fall about 4%.

In Poland, farmer and vice‑president of the Zamojskie Agricultural Society Wiesław Gryn warned that competition from larger, less‑regulated Ukrainian farms could trigger a crisis for Polish agriculture. He said, “We must adapt to the world, because the world will not adapt to us,” and called the current restrictions “a blow below the belt.” Gryn urged changes to logistics, vehicle tonnage and fertilizer timing, and criticized the ministry for leaving the problem to producers alone.

Both reports highlight a broader squeeze on European farmers: excess inventories, tighter regulations and growing competition from Ukrainian imports are threatening profitability and could reshape the continent’s agricultural landscape.